| Fishermen Exchange with Maryland Watermen |
|
GULF FISHERMEN SWAPPING SHIPMATES & SUSTAINABILITY TECHNIQUES WITH MARYLAND CONTEMPORARIES “Fishermen Exchange” in Clearwater, Cortez, St. Petersburg & Madeira Beach to Contrast Maryland’s Blue Crab Industry with Gulf of Mexico’s Recovering Red Snapper Fishery, February 15-17 February 14 (Tampa, FL) – Maryland fishermen will travel to the Gulf of Mexico for first-hand experience with a resource management plan that is helping deep south fishermen recover a previously overfished stock and create greater sustainability for themselves at sea. The Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance, a leading industry organization, and Environmental Defense Fund will host the Maryland Watermen in and around the ports of Tampa on February 15-17. The three-day exchange will feature two dock-side field trips (in Madeira Beach and Cortez) to allow Maryland participants the chance to observe red snapper off-loading, collaborate with Gulf Coast captains and crews, monitor boat management systems and tour Gulf fish houses. The conference portion of the meeting, affording open discussion of best practices between participating businesses and fisheries, will take place at the Hampton Inn St. Petersburg Suites Downtown, 80 Beach Drive NE, in St. Petersburg. Both groups expect this pilot ocean exchange will provide greater insight on impacting the resource management process by collaborating with fishery managers, providing better input on regulations and mandates, participating in on-boat monitoring and data gathering programs, and other cooperative management activities. At least two additional Gulf-area exchanges are in the planning stages for 2010. A key discussion at this exchange will include regulatory requirements on commercial harvesters. Under direction of federal fishery officials, the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery implemented a management system involving Individual Fishing Quotas (IFQs) which prohibits individuals from fishing beyond an allotted quota. The transition, while not seamless, made a difference in the Gulf -- Federal officials say a new red snapper assessment suggests overfishing in the Gulf of Mexico ended ahead of a 2010 deadline and recently recommended an increase in the Gulf’s total allowable red snapper catch. “We’re seeing true sustainability in our revenues, our relationships and our resources,” said TJ Tate, executive director of the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance. “We’re happy to show the Maryland Watermen and others that this can be done.” Fishermen in the Chesapeake Bay are called “watermen” because they do not typically catch one species or even one type of seafood but instead catch whatever they can, depending on the market price, season, and their gear. Watermen participating in the exchange will benefit from a number of presentations highlighting profitability, resource management, electronic reporting systems, and building fishery management practices into useful consumer and buyer influences. Gulf of Mexico participants will also discuss issues and challenges within Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab fishery, a state run fishery. “Our member fishermen are always collaborating on better, more responsible ways to fish our seas,” said exchange co-host David Krebs, a 30-year veteran Gulf fisherman based in Destin, FL and the President of the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance. “As we learn and improve, we feel an obligation to share our successes with other fisheries. We want to share the objective data that has brought us to the point of recovery,” Krebs said. Joining Krebs as panel and presentation leaders will be Dave McKinney, Environmental Defense Fund’s Gulf of Mexico Oceans Program; Buddy Guindon, Treasurer of the Shareholders’ Alliance; Glen Brooks, President of the Gulf Fishermen’s Association and Shareholders’ Alliance Board member; and other tenured fishermen and professionals. A complete three-day itinerary is available at www.ShareholdersAlliance.org or by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . About Shareholders’ Alliance: The Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance is a 501(c)(6)) trade organization comprised of seasoned Commercial fishing industry leaders from the five state Gulf region who support Individual Fishing Quotas and other smart management methods to achieve sustainable fishing throughout the Gulf of Mexico. |